


At This Season

by bgoodg



Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Families of Choice, Gen, Holidays, Jewish Holidays, Mixed faith famalies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 10:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2847140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgoodg/pseuds/bgoodg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holiday ficlet about Charles and Erik's first holiday season with the kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At This Season

**Author's Note:**

> Been sitting in my drafts forever. Thanks to eryn for reading the many drafts.

"We're fine Charles." Raven's curled on the couch, phone to her ear and cord wrapped around her finger. "Erik remembered to feed us and everything." 

"It's not your eating habits I'm concerned about," Charles laughs from DC. "He's not being too hard on you, is he?"

"You mean, has he pushed any of us off a satellite dish?" 

"Tell your brother I have been exceedingly gracious with you lot." 

Raven's yellow eyes track Erik as he enters the room. She's been in her natural form more often than not but for the sake of "decency" or perhaps her brother's unflinching Englishness, Raven will wear clothing: often choosing colors that highlight her blue skin. "Erik says he loves you and misses you and can't wait till you're back home."

Erik doesn't bother commenting but gives Raven a look that suggest she'll be running extra laps tomorrow. It's worth it to hear Charles sound genuinely amused. She knows her brother was worried over leaving the mansion. In just two months they've added three new students, all under ten years old and needing serious training. The mansion is still sprawling but it's steadily being filled with the shouts of children and laughter and family. 

"And how are the little ones doing?" Charles asks.

"Jean's taking it the worst but we expected that. Erik's taken to carrying her on his shoulders and that's stopped the worst of the tantrums. Don't worry, me and Sean got a lot of pictures."

"I can't wait to see them."

"Scott's been sticking by Alex's side but he's also helping Hank in the lab. There was one small fire but nothing Ororo couldn't handle. And don't worry, the flooding was only slight." 

"See Charles," Erik says, taking the phone from Raven and putting it his ear. "The house is still standing. We're getting ready to sit down and watch the Ed Sullivan show actually."

"He’s having flaminco dancers on!" Raven says loud enough to be heard in DC. "See you soon Charles, mwah!" There's an exaggerated kiss into the phone that has Erik wiping the handle on his shirt.

"Isn't your boyfriend waiting for you?" Erik asks, hoping to shoo her away so he can talk to Charles alone.

"Which one?" Raven replies with a wink and walks from the study to the living room where the children are gathering to watch TV.

"I'd hate to have you miss Sullivan," Charles says, well aware of Erik's priorities. 

"Bastard can wait," Erik replies. "How are you doing?"

"It's slow going here. The CIA is aware of what we did for them last year,"

"But they're also aware things could have gone very differently," Erik says. The possibility of war, of nuclear disaster or openly hostile mutants: one step to the left and the world could be in flames. But they'd disarmed Shaw and Erik had dropped the man's helmet on the beach, left to rot along with the body. Angel had come back with them, taking a room on the second floor but keeping her distance from Alex and Sean. 

"Cooperation will work Erik. We just have to give them a chance."

It's an argument that won't be settled over one phone call and Erik has other things he'd rather discuss. "When are you coming home?"

"Next week at the latest. Definitely before Christmas. I'd rather get as much done here than keep making trips out."

"The humans keeping you away so long, certainly isn't endearing their species to me."

"Just between you and me, I think the CIA is a little terrified of you." 

Erik's shark grin startles Scott as he passes the study to get to the TV. He skirts around the large desk and ducks low to get into the living room.

"You okay buddy?" Alex questions, scooting over so that his little brother can fit on the couch.

"Mr. Erik was smiling," Scott says. "I thought he was going to eat me."

"He only eats gingers," Alex whispers, looking over to where Sean is trying to balance popcorn, chips, dip and pretzels. "Besides, it would make the Professor mad if Erik ate anyone while he was gone."

"When's Professor Xavier coming back?"

"In a little bit. You miss him?"

Scott shrugs, seven years old and already trying to mimic the nonchalance of his older brother. "Jean misses him a lot."

The whole school is aware of Scott and Jean's mutual schoolyard crush. The older kids have deemed it adorable even if Alex can't help but feel a swell of protectiveness and exasperation at the thought of his brother being old enough to like someone. "You should go sit by her then, I bet that would make her feel better."

Alex can't be sure due to the ruby quartz glasses that Hank designed but he's willing to bet Scott rolls his eyes before scooting over to where Jean sits in front of the TV. She smiles at Scott, looking back to the TV and commercial for Kodak with a roaring hippo.

"Aww young love," Sean hands Alex a soda and takes Scott's empty seat.

"Shut up Cassidy," Alex replies but stretches his arm over the couch and lets Sean lean into him. 

"You better be careful," Angel says. She wants to be called Tempest know which with the mini-skirts and low cut tops, Alex finds the name pretty accurate. "Scott's going to be a heartbreaker one of these days.” They're still on uneven footing after the fight on the beach but she smiles and Alex knows she means for it to be teasing.

"I'm pretty sure he's already spoken for," Alex says.

"But you never know." Raven swings her legs over the couch, settling with her body laying across Sean and Alex's laps. "Love is a funny thing." 

Alex fights a blush and takes a sip of his soda.

"Where's Hank? The fuzzball is going to miss Sullivan," Sean says.

"We're here." Hank arrives with a tiny Ororo on his back. She lets go of his fur, sliding to the floor to sit next to Jean and Scott. She's the youngest mutant at the school, still untrained enough to have temper tantrums that start downpours. But she's getting better and learning that being denied dessert is no reason to start a hail storm.

Hank settles on the floor himself, nudged between Alex and Sean's thighs and within easy reach of the snacks. 

Erik comes in last, the slightest bit of smile on his face as he takes one of the upholstered chairs.

"Did you tell Charles we all miss him?" Raven teases.

Jean looks over at mention of the Professor's name.

"Yes," Erik says. "I also told him we'll be stepping up the older children's training routine. I think 10k runs will be an excellent addition to the weekend schedule."

"I have no idea how long that is," Alex states. 

"Six point two miles," Hank says from the floor.

"Crap."

"With an added mile for every curse word said in front of the children."

Sean opens his mouth, calculating his words before asking. "What if it's in another language?"

Erik's grin is sharp, "If you think I don't know the language you're certainly welcome to try."

Sean shuts his mouth and focuses on the TV.

Erik can't say he particularly enjoys Ed Sullivan but gathering around the television has become a tradition for the blooming family. The kids love the music and it's a must for the teens. Charles has a soft spot for the comedians and Erik will never admit to enjoying the various dancers that perform. 

Sullivan's monologue is just beginning when Jean gets up, walking to the side of Erik's chair before asking, "Can I have some soda?"

"It's much too late for soda," Erik says. 

"But they're all drinking it." She points over to the teenagers on the couch who are sipping on their cokes. Hank raises a fuzzy arm to try and hide his cup while Sean thinks that by chugging the soda he'll somehow be cleared. 

"How about some chocolate milk instead?" Erik asks. There will be so much running for the first class tomorrow. 

She thinks it over for a moment. At six and a half, she's already immensely perceptive, an attribute that Charles swears is not due to her telepathic abilities. Due to her power’s traumatizing manifestation, Charles and her parents had decided it was best to put a temporary mental block on Jean's telepathic powers: allowing her to focus on her telekinetic abilities while Charles also helps her understand the ethics of being able to read someone's mind.

Sometimes Erik's not sure the mental block is strong enough.

"Okay," she finally agrees and holds up her hands indicating that she wants to be picked up.

Ignoring the snickers, Erik swoops Jean up, situating her on his right hip and letting the girl wrap her arms around his neck. "We'll be back."

"You're going to miss the Four Seasons," Raven says as they leave the room. 

Erik pads down the deserted halls, his footsteps light and silent. They can just hear the band begin to play as they make it into the kitchen. Maneuvering with Jean on his hip, Erik pours some chocolate milk from the carton into a bright orange cup. 

“Better?” Erik asks.

Jean nods her head and looks over Erik’s shoulder.

He’s not surprised to find Storm standing there with her own cup in one hand and blanket in the other.

“Would you like some as well?”

“Yes please.”

Erik sets down Jean before going back to the fridge. When he turns around, both girls are halfway across the kitchen, looking at the menorah sitting along a windowsill. 

“Whose birthday is it?” Ororo asks. 

The shamash candle sits as decoration, surely put there by Charles as Erik had refused to have anything to do with the decorating of the mansion.

“It is not a birthday candle,” Erik states.

“When can we light it?” 

Erik hasn’t celebrated Hanukkah since being a child: he hasn’t celebrated any holidays since the camps. Despite the presence of the menorah he hadn’t planned on celebrating this year. The children would demand some sort of Christmas celebration and Charles would be quick to spoil them with presents. But Erik had planned to do little more than allow Charles his concession to holiday diversity. 

“We won't be lighting it," Erik comments. 

"But we have to," Jean says with more force than her tiny frame should allow. "Professor said we need it for Hannukah, to remember the miracles."

Erik is stuck for a moment. As he has repeatedly told himself not to do, Erik has underestimated his Charles. 

"Jean, can you take Storm back to the living room?" 

"Okay," the two girls join hands. He can hear their small voices join together in '

Erik goes for the phone in the study. 

"Charles," Erik says, trying to send the warmth of the fire and the dry tone of Sullivan mixed with the conversation of the children in his plea. "Come home."


End file.
